Protection of cellulosic textile materials



as emsmssa Patented Aug. 23, 1949 as :3 REFEREitQE SEARCH R i V OFFICE PROTECTION OF CELLULOSIC TEXTILE MATERIALS No Drawing. Application March 20, 1948, Serial No. 16,143

Claims.

This invention relates to the preservation of cellulosic textile materials and is particularly concerned with a treated textile and a method of protecting cellulosic fibers and fibrous. manufactures from attack b mold and rot organisms.

Cellulosic textiles, which have not been subject to preservatiwe treatment, are damaged quite readily when exposed to conditions favorable to the growth of rot and mold organisms. Many textile preservative materials have been proposed and used with varying degrees of success. Some such materials have had a limited use due to their odor, tendency to stain, highv water solubility, and toxic or irritating qualities. A particular disadvantage of other preservatives has been their relatively high vapor pressures, whereby they quickly volatilize out ofthe textiles, leaving the latter vulnerable to attack. With certain preservatives a further disadvantage has been a tendency to cause a tendering or a nonbiological loss of tensile strength of the treated textile over a period of time. It is now wellrecognized that a satisfactory preservative must resist the attack of rot and mildew without contributing to the loss of tensile strength.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved method of preserving cellulosic textile materials which increases their resistance to the attacking rot and mold and prolongs their retention of tensile strength upon aging. It is a further object of this invention to produce 2. treated cellulosic textile material, which is invested with increased resistance against the attack of fungus organisms. Other objects will become apparent from the following specification.

According to this invention it has been found that, when the fibers and surfaces of cellulosic textile, materials are impregnated with heavy metal salts of a phenyl-salicylic acid having the formula 0' wherein X is selected from the group consisting of copper, cadmium, lead and zinc, the productsv gesiiil ile I ti One convenient salt of a ph-enyl-salicylie acid in an organic solvent, such as benzene, acetone, methyl-ethylketone, or xylene. Any excess solution over that which contains the desired amount of the preservativ-e is expressed from the textile, and the residual solvent removed by evaporation. This procedure leaves a deposit of the preservative in and on the fibers.

In another preferred procedure, the textile is successively Wet with aqueous solutions, of an alkali-metal salt of a phenyl-salicylic acid, and of an inorganic salt of a heavy metal. The order in which the alkali-metal phenyl-salicylate and the heavy metal salt solutions are applied to the textile is immaterial. In any event, the insoluble heavy metal salt of phenyl-salicylic acid is precipitated in and on the fibers of the textile. The excess water is removed from the textile by evaporation.

I In another process, the heavy metal salt of phenyl-salicylic acid is dissolved in a water-immiscible solvent and the resulting solution emulsifiedas the disperse phase in an aqueous medium. This emulsion is applied to the textile, and the excess liquid expressed. Subsequent drying deposits the preservative in the textile. Similarly, the protective agent may be dispersed in a liquid sizing material, such as a starch dispersion, and the resultin dispersion applied to the textile.

In any of the above procedures, the exact amount of the preservative which is deposited is determined by the amount of the preservative in the treating liquid or liquids, the amount of the latter applied to the textile, and the type of treating fluid employed.

In the described operations, good results are obtained when the preservative is deposited in the textile in the amount of from about 1 to 8 per cent by weight, although any desired amount maybe used. The selection of a particular preservative and the quantity thereof employed are largely determined by the nature of the textile material under treatment, the conditions under which the treated material is to be employed, and the particular organisms concerned.

The preservatives may be incorporated with materials used to impart water-repellency to tarpaulins, sails, tents, and the like. When used with wax emulsion Water-repellents, an aqueous emulsion of the preservative may be mixed in any desired proportion with the water-repellent emulsion before it is applied to the textile. If the water-repellent is a lacquer type agent, the preservative may be dissolved therein prior to application.

Example 2 Segments of cotton duck (No. 10) were treated as described in Example 1 with solvent solu- 5 tions of the preservatives listed in the following table and under conditions which deposited in the dried cloth the indicated weight of preservative. The treated segments were buried in moist soil for the indicated periods of time, and then tested to determine their retention of tensile strength.

Per Cent Retention of Tensile Strength Per Cent by Treatment Solvent Weig in After S011 Burial for Fabric 14 Days 28 Days Untreated duck 17 Cupric B-phenylsalicylate 84 81 100 95 Cupric 4-phenylsalicylate 100 87 Zinc 3-phenylsalicylate 84 77 Cadmium 3-phenylsalicylate. 89 87 Lead 3-phenylsalicylate 89 79 bodiments of the invention but are not to be construed as limiting the same.

Example 1 Example 3 Segments of cotton duck (No. 10) were treated as described in Example 1 with solvent solutions of a number of preservatives. A comparative treatment was made with dichloro-dihydroxydiphenyl-methane. The treated cloth sections and controls were exposed to ultra-vi0let light in a fadeometer for 500 hours (21 days). Following the exposure, measurements were carried out to determine the per cent retention of breaking strength. These measurements indicate the extent to which the tensile strength of the test pieces was afi'ected under conditions adapted to cause accelerated breakdown.

Per Cent by Retention of Treatment Solvent Weight in Breaking Fabric Strength Untreated duck Cupric 3-phenyl-salicylate 2. 8 79 Do 2. 78 Do 5.2 95 Oupric 4-phenyl-sal1cy1ate 1. 2 80 Zinc 3-phenyl-salicy1ate- 6. 2 72 Cadmium 3-phenyl-salicylatedo 6. 6 86 Lead 3-phe nyl salicylate do 6. 6 81 Dichloro-d1hydroxy-diphenyl-methanc Of Example No. 1 2. 4 30 tion, squeezed between rollers to express excess treating solution, and dried. The treated cloths and controls were buried in moist soil for the indicated periods of time, and then tested to determine their per cent retention of tensile or breaking strength. The tensile strength retention is an index of the efiectiveness of the protective agent against soil-borne cellulose-rotting organisms. For comparison, similarv tests were carried out with a copper naphthenate preservative. I

Example 4 Field tests on cotton duck (No. were carried out by weathering for a period of six months under sub-tropical conditions. The cotton duck was treated with a water-repellent binder composition containing cupric S-phenyl-salicylate.

The basic binder composition consisted of 0.4 part by weight of castor oil, 0.6 part of a low viscosity type of ethyl cellulose, 1 part of hydrogenated rosin, and 2. parts of microcrystalline wax all dissolved in a solvent mixture of 14 parts of butanol and 82 parts of a, hydrogenated petroleum fraction (Ennjay No. 2) having aromatic hydrocarbon constituents, a boiling range of 268- 352 F., and a specific gravity of 0.86. The preservative was added to this water-repellent binder, the binder-preservative mixture applied to the textile, and the textile dried. The solids deposited in the textile included both the waterrepellent binder and 2.0 per cent by weight of the preservative agent. In control operations segments of duck were treated with unmodified binder and with binder-preservative compositruss seiEilEittE i tions of copper naphthenate, and dichloro-dihy-.. droxy-diphenyl-vmethane.

After the. weathering exposure, observations-Z- were made to ascertain the extent, of mold growth Segments of cotton duck (No. were treated first with an aqueous solution of the sodium salt of B-phenyl-salicyclic acid, and second with an aqueous solution of cupric sulphate to produce copper 3-phenyl-salicylate in situ in the cloth. The concentrations of the treating solutions and amounts thereof retained in the textile were such as to precipitate the preservative in the amount of 3.4 per cent by weight of the dried fabric. The treated segments were dried and the water-repellent binder of Example 4 was applied to these segments and to untreated duck. The fabric pieces were weathered in the field under subtropical conditions for a period of six months. After such exposure the treated segments were found to be free of mold organisms while the segments which contained only binder and no preservative agent were covered with a heavy mold growth.

Included within the scope of the word mold as herein employed, is the mildew and discoloration which is commonly found on cellulosic textile materials and is attributable to the growth of fungus organisms.

This invention has been illustrated with reference to the protection and preservation of cotton duck, but is not so limited. It is to be understood that the described advantages accrue to any celluloslo textile materials containing the present preservatives, regardless of whether the textile material or manufacture is in the form of thread, yarn, rope, or cloth and composed of jute, hemp, flax, cotton, ramice, or other fiber, provided only that it be of cellulosic origin.

I claim:

1. A cellulosic textile material impregnated with a metal salt of phenyl-salicylic acid having the formula:

wherein X represents a member of the group consisting of copper, cadmium, lead, and zinc.

2. A cellulosic textile material impregnated with a cupric phenyl-salicylate having the formula:

3. A cellulosic textile material impregnated with a metal salt of 3-phenyl-salicylic acid having the formula:

wherein X represents a member of the group consisting .of copper, cadmium, lead, and zinc.

4. A cellulosic textile material impregnated with cupric 3-phenyl-salicylate in the amount of 1 to 8 per cent by weight of the textile.

5. A method of preserving cellulosic textile materials against attack by rot and mold organisms which includes the step of depositing in and on the fibers of the textile a metal salt of phenyl-salicylic acid having the formula:

icy

wherein X represents a member of the group consisting of copper, cadmium, lead, and Zinc.

6. A method of preserving cellulosic textile materials against attack by rot and mold organisms which includes the step of depositing in and on the fibers of the textile cupric phenylsalicylate having the formula:

wherein X is selected from the group consisting of copper, cadmium, lead, and zinc.

8. A method of preserving cellulosio textile materials against attack by rot and mold organisms which includes the step of depositing in and on the fibers of the textile cupric 3-phenyl-salicylate in the amount of 1 to 8 per cent by weight of the textile.

9. A method for protecting cellulosic textile materials against the attack of the organisms of SEAiiCi-l ROOM rot and mold which includes the steps of (1) wetting the textile fibers and surfaces with a solution of cupric 3-phenyl-salicylate in a volatile organic solvent, and (2) drying the textile.

10. A method for protecting cellulosic textile materials against the attack ,of the organisms of rot and mold which includes the steps of (1) suc- 8 cessively Wetting the textile fibers and surfaces with aqueous solutions of an alkali-metal salt of 3-pheny1-salicy1ic acid and of an inorganic salt of copper, and (2) drying the textile.

FREDERICK J. MEYER.

No references cited. 

